Using material from Item A and elsewhere assess Marxist explanations of the role of education in society.

by lstewart678 (student)

Using material from Item A and elsewhere assess Marxist explanations of the role of education in society.

Item A:

Marxism is a conflict view that sees society as based on class divisions and exploitation. Education functions in the interests of the ruling class in a number of ways Althusser argues that education is an ideological state apparatus controlling people’s ideas, values and beliefs.

In particular, education reproduces class inequality, failing each generation of working – class pupils in turn. It also legitimates class inequality by producing ideologies that disguise its true cause. Education tries to convince people that inequality is inevitable and that failure is the fault of the individual.(c) Marxists argue that schooling takes place in ‘the long shadow of work’.

Other sociologists such as functionalists and the New Right disagree with Marxist explanations. They argue that education performs positive functions for society as a whole.

Marxism is a conflict view that sees society as being based on class divisions and exploitation. Marxists argue that, In capitalist society there are two classes – the ruling class (capitalists, or bourgeoisie) and the subject class (working class, or proletariat).The capitalist class own the means of production (land, factories, machinery etc) and make their profits by exploiting the labour of the working class.This creates class conflict that could threaten the stability of capitalism or even result in a revolution to overthrow it. Social institutions (such as the education system, the mass media, religion etc) reproduce class inequalities and play an ideological role by persuading exploited workers that inequality is justified and acceptable.

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Despite the inequalities in the system, capitalists are able to hold on to power because they control the state. In item A Althusser (1971) claims the state consists of two elements which help to keep them in power. The repressive state apparatus (RSA),when necessary to protect capitalist interests, the state uses force to repress the working class via the police, courts and army. The ideological state apparatus (ISA) controls people’s ideas, values and beliefs. The ISA includes religion, the mass media and the education system. The education system performs two functions as an ISA Reproduction: Education reproduces class inequality, by failing each generation of working – class pupils in turn and thereby ensuring that they end up in the same kinds of jobs as their parents. Legitimating: Education legitimates (justifies) class inequality by producing ideologies (sets of ideas and beliefs) that disguise its true cause. Education tries to convince people that inequality is inevitable and that failure is the fault of the individual, not the capitalist system

According to Bowles and Gintis (1976), capitalism needs workers with the kind of obedient attitudes and submissive personality – type that is willing to accept hard work, low pay and authority. Like Althusser, they see the role of the education system in capitalist society as reproducing an obedient, exploitable workforce that will accept social inequality as inevitable and fail. To achieve this, successive generations of workers need these ideas firmly planted in their minds – and this is the function of the education system. Bowles and Gintis argue that there is a close correspondence (similarity or parallel) between relationships in school and those found in the workplace. This similarity creates new generations of workers ready to accept their lot and serve capitalism. In item a it points out that Bowles and Gintis think schooling takes place in ‘the long shadow of work’. The relationships and structures found in education mirror or correspond to those of work .However, Bowles and Gintis argue that this is a myth. In reality, success is based on class background, not ability or educational achievement. But by promoting the (untrue) claim that rewards are based on ability, the myth of meritocracy helps persuade workers to accept inequality and their subordinate position as legitimate.

The curriculum principle operates through the hidden curriculum – all the ‘lessons’ that are learnt in school without being directly taught. Through the everyday workings of the school, pupils accept hierarchy, competition, alienation etc. It becomes simply the normal way to think The education system helps to prevent people from recognising their exploited position and rebelling against the system, by legitimating class inequalities. It does this by producing ideologies (sets of ideas) that explain why inequality is fail, natural and / or inevitable. The education system creates many myths, including the ‘myth of meritocracy’. Functionalists argue that education and the world of work are both meritocratic, because in their view everyone has an equal opportunity to achieve. Those who gain the highest rewards deserve them because they are the most able and hardworking. Bowles and Gintis reject the functionalist claim that education allocates the most talented people meritocratically to the most important and best – rewarded roles. Their research found that it was obedient students who got the best grades, not those who were non – conformist or creative thinkers. That is, the education system rewards those who conform to the qualities required of the future workers.

Using qualitative methods, Willis (1977) studied the counter – school culture of ‘the lads’ – a group of 12 working – class boys – as they made the transition from school to work.Willis rejects Bowles and Gintis’s version of the correspondence principle. Rather than the lads passively accepting ruling – class ideology (such as the myth of meritocracy), he found that working – class pupils may resist attempts to indoctrinate them in school. They are able to partially see through the meritocratic ideology that claims working – class pupils can get on through hard work. The lads formed a distinct counter – culture that was opposed to the school. They flouted the school’s rules (e.g. by smoking, disrupting classes and playing truant). For the lads, such acts of defiance were ways of resisting the school’s authority.This anti – school counter – culture is similar to the shop floor culture of male manual workers. The lads identify strongly with male manual work and this explains why they see themselves as superior both to girls and to the ‘effeminate’ ear’oles (conformist pupils) who aspire to non – manual jobs. For Willis, the irony is that by resisting the school’s ideology, the lads’ counter – school culture guarantees that they will fail, thereby ensuring that they end up in the manual work that capitalism needs someone to perform. Thus, their resistance to school ends up reproducing class inequality. There is a direct link however to using education like a business and Some Marxists have claimed that recent educational policies in the UK make their analysis of the role of education even more relevant today. Mercerisation policies, the privatisation of some educational services, business sponsorship of state schools (e.g. academies) etc result in more direct capitalist control over education and training. Not only does the education system function to provide a willing workforce for capitalism, but increasingly it does so while making profits for capitalists.

Postmodernists argue that Marxism is out of date. The correspondence principle no longer operates or is at the very least too simplistic a view. Postmodernists argue that class divisions are no longer important in a post – Fordist economic system that is now much more diverse and fragmented. They claim that where Marxists see inequality, there is really diversity and choice. Feminists argue that schools reproduce not only capitalism, but patriarchy too. Mc Robbie points out that females are largely absent from Willis’ study. However, Willis’ study has been the model for research into other educational inequalities, including gender, ethnicity and sexuality. Marxists disagree among themselves as to how reproduction and Legitimation take place. Bowles and Gintis take a deterministic vie and assume that pupils passively accept indoctrination. Willis rejects this simple ‘brainwashing’ view and shows how pupils may resist school and yet still end up in working – class jobs. Romanticisation: Willis has been criticised for romanticising the ‘lads’, presenting them as working – class heroes despite their anti – social behaviour and sexist attitudes. His study of only 12 boys in one school is also unlikely to be unrepresentative. Also in item A is states New Right disagree with Marxist explanations. They argue that education performs positive functions for society as a whole.